Anky van Grunsven in top FEI World Cup Dressage Final
Monday, June 9th, 2008
“To me this was top of the bill. This was a top final at a top venue with a top field of competitors doing top performances,” Ground Jury President Jan Peeters complimented. Probably the highest standard field ever to compete in the 23rd FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. After the Grand Prix as a warming up test won by Isabell Werth, Anky van Grunsven scored her ninth FEI World Cup™ Dressage victory, her fourth riding her Olympic champion IPS Salinero. Finnish Kyra Kyrklund took the third place aboard Max.
The tough battle between the titans Isabell Werth and Anky van Grunsven was not decided until the very last ride which was Anky’s. Isabell Werth and the big chestnut Warum Nicht FRH had a great test. Their Freestyle is nicely choreographed and gradually builds up to an exciting climax. Remarkable extensions and half passes were rewarded with high marks. However, the pair left little room for improvement when they a mistake in the one tempi flying changes and hardly halted at the end, which brought the score down to 82,60%.
Anky van Grunsven and IPS Salinero produced an impression of another kind. It was almost as if IPS Salinero was in a dimension of his own, simply doing his job to the music, calm and relaxed, easy going, easy moving. No shivers down the spine, but wet hands because of the harmony and stillness. The music composed by Wibi Soerjadi seemed to tone down the level of energy while increasing the overall impression of harmony. With a result of 85,20% the win was a undisputable.